2 Samuel 2: 8-32, 2 Samuel 3: 1-21, John 21, Psalm 89: 9-13
John 21: 17-19 (ESV)
“He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you
love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love
me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were
young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you
are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry
you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death
he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
In verses 17 through 19 from John 21, Jesus asked SImon for
the third time if he loved him. The author of a Bible study I read wrote that
Jesus needed to ask Simon three times in public if Simon loved him, because Simon
had denied knowing Jesus three times in public. I love the symmetry of Jesus’ three
questions to Simon about loving him because it negates the three times that Simon
denied knowing Jesus. Then Jesus prophesies to Simon that what kind of death he
would have, and invites him again to “Follow me.”. Jesus wanted Simon to have
the choice again to follow him, knowing that he would be killed like Jesus for
his faith. The first time Jesus told Simon to follow him, he did so willingly
without knowing what would happen. We know from the Acts of the Apostles that
Simon who was renamed by Jesus as Peter, would become the father of the
Christian faith, convert thousands of people, and start the new church devoted
to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
I love how these verses show that even though Simon had
failed Jesus by denying him three times in public, Jesus forgave him and
restored him as an apostle so he could continue telling people about his
teachings. But Jesus gave Simon a choice to follow him, knowing that telling people
about his teachings would lead to his death. Jesus would never have asked anyone
to follow him, if he did not think they had the strength and faith to do it. As
followers of Christ, we need to trust in Father-God and his plans for us since
he has sovereignty over all things.
If you enjoyed reading my thoughts about these Bible verses,
find a good Bible-based church so you can hear and read about how others are
interpreting the words of Christ in the Bible.
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